How do I design a killer brochure?
Answer: This answer is an excerpt from a MarketingProfs.com article by Kimberly L. McCall that you can read in its entirety here. As with all good marketing initiatives, marvelous execution is the result of exceptional planning. Making your way through the brochure process, the following guidelines will help you stay on course, on budget and on message: Pull together a brainstorming session with all key people, including your designer, writer, photographer, project coordinator, and the top dog who will ultimately green light the project. It's important to have decision makers involved right from the get go-it can avoid very costly rewrites and redesigns down the road. What's the brochure's role in your marketing efforts? Determine the objectives of the brochure-will it be a leave behind for salespeople? A self mailer? Part of a larger fulfillment package? Part of a trade show presence? A point of sale display? How does it mesh with other marketing efforts? Determine the audience & message. Is it for all customers of the company, or just a segment? What type of people will be reading it? Creatives? Techies? Executives? Tyler Blik, principal of Tyler Blik Design in San Diego, California, says, "Know your audience. Determine the message and the points you want to make, and ask yourself 'does this fit with the overall goals and objectives of the corporation?'" Take a look at the competition. Linda Costa, APR, president of WORDWISE, Inc., a marketing firm in Winter Park, Florida, advises "You want to make sure [your brochure] represents you well-and that it is every bit as good, or preferably better, than the competition." Costa encourages clients to bring competitors' brochures to the first meeting to help determine the "look and feel" the client is after. How much can you spend? Find out what the budget is for the project, including printing. If you're being asked to provide the budget yourself, you'll need to meet with the designer, writer, photographer and printer to pull it together. There is no "average" cost for a brochure because of the numerous variables that come into play-fees for creative, type of paper being used, colors, shape and size of brochure. Create copy and design a mock up. Deciding on whether copy or design comes first can be a real chicken/egg conundrum. Most experts agree that there must be synchronization for the brochure to work. Says Tyler Blik, " Ideally they work together. Many times we are thinking of the words that need to be expressed as we develop the creative behind the message." Adds Tom Salvo, "It's a very collaborative process that usually requires copy and design to be generated simultaneously." Avoid the urge to cram every scintilla of information about your company into the piece. The point of the brochure is to get a prospect interested, not to close the deal. With that in mind, keep the copy simple, and pertinent to your audience. Color will impact the cost and look of the finished brochure. You can stretch your dollar by being innovative with design and using just two colors. Or you may be using images that really demand the four-color treatment. Tom Salvo advises that "Color is all-important to a successful brochure, but it must be tempered by utility and practicality." Get the printer involved. Printers, like designers, can be enormously helpful in making recommendations on the layout of your brochure. According to Tyler Blik, the printer should be involved in the process soon after the start, "The printing representative is your ally throughout the whole process. Utilize their expertise the same way you would a marketing director, writer or photographer." Proof and print. After all design and copy elements have been agreed upon, it's time to proof your brochure. Anyone who has been close to the project should NOT be responsible for the proofing-It's virtually impossible to see your own errors. Hire a proofreader, and pass the brochure around to other people in the company to get the benefit of their "fresh eyes." Get ready for next time. No matter the wonders of your brochure, it will need to be updated from time to time. Keep a folder of all potential changes and ways to make improvements on the next go 'round. Read the article in its entirety by clicking here. |
More resources related to Advertising
-
Traditional ads such as billboards, television ads, and radio spots may have fallen out of favor more during the pandemic, when businesses were accelerating digital methods. But do traditional ads still have value? This article explores the differences.
-
Mad Men-style advertising, based on interrupting entertainment or news, is still with us—but most marketers recognize that it's unsteady on its feet. The reality is that people are tired of being "targeted" with ads and so are inclined to take evasive action. It's time to dust off the tried-and-true customer testimonial, and turbo-charge it for your website with video storytelling.
-
Back in the day, times seemed simpler. Advertising, ad expert Rebecca Bugger and host George B. Thomas conclude, is continually changing, and you should always be testing your methods to see what works and what doesn't. Watch and listen to discover how advertising works today.
-
Marketers can't be blamed for being overwhelmed by the seemingly endless choices that digital advertising offers. But do you have to embrace every option and every channel? There's a better way.
-
Videos, interactive gaming, choose-your-own-adventure product tours... there's so much complexity in digital marketing right now that nobody could be blamed for yearning to rely on a plain old billboard. But is such a thing still effective?
-
Do you know where you need to be advertising? Many marketers default to digital, but is that where your audience is? Other advertising methods can be paired with digital for the best strategy, according to Rebecca Bugger.
-
What's missing in any discussion of advertising's future is a deeper analysis of the forces at work.
-
In his new book, According to Kotler, Phil Kotler gives a summary of the key principles of marketing and how they relate to current events such as corporate accounting scandals, outsourcing, globalization, warehouse shopping and online marketing. Here is an excerpt of it, based on the thousands of questions Kotler has been asked over the years by clients, students, business audiences, and journalists. Get the full story.
-
Many people take the same commute route every day. Placing a digital or interactive ad in a strategic public transit location can result in countless impressions and improved ROI.
-
Co-op advertising involves manufacturers and brands providing advertising dollars to their channel partners, such as retailers and dealers, that sell their products. Learn why the method is a win-win.
-
Digital advertising is booming, but it's best not to invest in every single channel at once. An ad tech expert shares some wisdom.
-
Personalized targeting has worked for banner advertisers for years. However, it was never feasible for OTT—until now. Here's why your OTT ad strategy needs work.
-
Advertising on LinkedIn requires a strategic approach that goes beyond mere ad placement. To truly excel, advertisers need to understand the ins and outs of the platform and its best-practices.
-
Five Ways Digital Advertising Fraud Is Costing You: How To Take Control of Your Media Spend
Sponsored ArticleDigital advertising fraud causes companies to lose billions of dollars in media spend. But how? Here are five common fraud tactics to watch out for.
-
Take 10: How to Use Your CRM Data to Boost Advertising ROI
Video TutorialIn just 10 minutes, you'll learn how to boost your return on advertising spend (ROAS) by leveraging the data you already have. We'll cover practical tips on how to segment your CRM lists, upload them into Google AdWords and Facebook advertising, and use them to help you expand and refine your campaigns.
-
Avoid Wasting Your Ad Budget on the Wrong Audience: Getting Started With Programmatic Advertising
Sponsored WebinarBuying, managing, and optimizing digital ads drains time and resources that would be better spent coming up with brilliant campaigns. Join us for this free webinar to learn how programmatic advertising can help. Sponsored by StackAdapt.
-
Content Syndication + ABM Advertising: Better Together
Sponsored WebinarContent syndication and account-based marketing display/paid advertising are two of the most effective B2B marketing strategies. But, together, they're so much more! Discover how to combine the two to attract and nurture even more high-quality leads. Sponsored by DemandScience.
-
Content marketing and native advertising each have their own benefits. But when used together, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Read on for tips to help you drive even more leads.
-
Millennials are known for being a tech-savvy group, but ad overload means many digital ads are simply ignored. One way to capture Millennials' attention: go offline with billboards.
-
Consumer ads have ruled CTV, but with the ever-decreasing gap between home and work life, that doesn't have to be the case. Here's how B2B advertisers can use digital attribution to take advantage of CTV.